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1st Trimester Advice
- Morning sickness isn't always in the morning! Mine is in the afternoon (both pg). (bugs9701)
- Sleep - sleep & more sleep. (Lorissa)
- Eat whatever will stay down. It is not time to worry about getting enough nutrients. Take a folic acid supplement and concentrate and getting anything down. This is the worst part. Just get through it. (mama2miracles)
- Get plenty of rest. Eat small meals if you have M/S. (tntbritt)
- Don't sweat the small stuff. If things aren't happening like they did for your best friend, that doesn't automatically mean that your baby is in trouble. Always seek medical advice if you have fears or frustrations. You pay them to take care of you, so insist on only the best. Keep lots of crackers and 7-up on hand! (SnoepjesGirl)
- Try and rest, I know that sometimes you feel guilty for laying around when you are barely pregnant, but you are and your body needs the rest. (iluvmaria)
- Try not to worry!! Enjoy being able to fit into the skinny waisted clothes!! (Cicsokids)
- Exercise, drink LOTS of water, and eat responsibly!
- You will have your first OB appt. during this time and MAY get to hear your baby�s heart beating on doppler (but it is still very early to pick it up.) Amazing! If you can, bring a small tape recorder to tape that precious sound�I taped both of my girl�s heartbeats�and would lie awake at night listening to that
beautiful sound. Don�t be afraid to call your OB if you have ANY concerns- that�s what they are there for! (Jenn33199)
- Rest as much as you can, see your doctor to discuss your worries, and to go over your wants for your birth. It is never
to early to make sure that you and your doctor/midwife are on the same track. You don't want to find out at 8 months that your
doctor has a 99% cesarean rate and you want a vaginal birth! Take your vitamins, eat 5-6 small meals to head off nausea, heartburn, and indigestion. Exercise 5 times a week and try to walk alot to prevent constipation. Don't worry about things you can't change. Worry never changed the outcome of anything. (bjs34)
- Try not to worry about every thing! I know this is SO hard... I'm pregnant with my 2nd, and still worry about the health of the
baby, etc. But it doesn't help things to spend your energy worrying. Also, try not to go crazy with the "eating for two" saying. I made that mistake my first time around, and gained way too much. (karzandi)
2nd Trimester Advice
- Enjoy! Best Part of being pg. (bugs9701)
- Let people do for you! (Mom_2_Jax)
- Exercise & enjoy the easy part of pg (Lorissa)
- Enjoy it, you are probably starting to feel better and not yet big. There is a reason the 2nd trimester is called "the honey moon of pregnancy". Take a trip with your family. You will start to feel the baby move. How exciting. (mama2miracles)
- Get plenty of rest. And start figuring out a name (tntbritt)
- Enjoy this time. You will probably be feeling your best during this time. Take advantage of it. Take lots of pictures. Address the envelopes for your birth announcements...do things to keep yourself occupied. (SnoepjesGirl)
- Enjoy it, this was the best part of pregnancy for me, chance of M/C greatly reduced and M/S gone, feeling baby move, just enjoy it. (iluvmaria)
- I always felt great during this time so I tried to really enjoy everything. So if you and your family would like to go on a trip or take you kids to the zoo this is the perfect time to really rack up on doing those things!! This is very exciting time because you will begin to feel the baby move around. (cicsokids)
- Exercise, drink LOTS of water, and eat responsibly!
- You will most likely have your �big ultrasound� during this time and will get to see your baby! I cried the first time I saw both my babies on u/s..I was so awed and amazed. Bring a video tape so you can watch it at home and bore all your friends and family with the tape! LOL! You will have (if you decide to) your AFP test during this time. Please be aware that many women have tests indicating a problem when in fact there is no problem! I had two amnios after 2 scary AFP�s. You�ll also get to feel your little one moving now, and hiccuping! Truly miraculous! (Jenn33199)
- Enjoy not feeling sick or tired anymore!(most of us) Try to start a prenatal yoga or stretching program to prepare your body for birth. It also helps keep your muscles in shape, and lessens back ache. Drink water, eat well,go away with your hubby or S/O before you are too big, and write up your birth plan. Hire a doula for your birth now. (bjs34)
- Relax! Enjoy all the new things you'll beexperiencing... all the bumps and nudges from your little one! Learn everything you can about labor & delivery... it'll help ease your mind, and the more you know, the less you'll be scared when the time comes! (karzandi)
- Start reading other people's birth stories. This can help you decide why type of birth for which to aim. Try to find birth stories of all types, hospital and home births, natural births and c-sections, etc.
Start reading about parenting philosophies and even check out the scientific advice that supports them. Having recently done a Master's thesis on Attachment Parenting, I am a big supporter of that parenting style, not only because I use that style with my son, but also because I've read the research. [link to thesis: http://www.visi.com/~jlb/thesis.html
You don't have to have an ultrasound! There is current research that questions the absolute safety of ultrasounds, don't feel bad if you need to use this technology for a valid medical reasons, but do some research yourself if you are considering doing a routine or recreational ultrasound. (testami)
3rd Trimester Advice
- Pregnancy causes brain damage! Don't be surprised when you have trouble making the simplest decisions (would you like lemon in your iced tea?). Keep a little notebook to write stuff down. You will have a hard time remembering even little things, You will not be pg forever, even though it feels that way. Be grateful you are not an elephant (23 month gestation period, plus you have to give birth to a baby elephant.) Your labor will be nothing like you imagined - and like nothing you have experienced before. You will do fine. You will obsess over it anyway. (bugs9701)
- Pack your bag early - you never know (Lorissa)
- I LOVE the third trimester. I love feeling that big baby move around and tumbling inside. Refuse all vaginal exams, they are discouraging no matter what the results. They really tell you absolutely NOTHING about when your baby will come. Enjoy the time of being alone with your baby, soon you will have to share. (mama2miracles)
- Your lungs, stomach, and the rest of your insides will feel like they are crammed up to your throat. I hope you got a lot of air the first two trimesters, because you won't be able to breathe in this one.
- Get as much rest as you can. Also pre address and stamp birth announcement envelopes. (tntbritt)
- You are almost there! This will be the roughest by far. The days will drag on, so now would be a perfect time to finish that baby blanket you started, or making that pregnancy scrap book. Throughout each trimester, remember to keep moving and drink lots of water! (SnoepjesGirl)
- Sleep, sleep, sleep, now is the time to sleep and when you are not sleeping, walk. I think I was either exhausted or so ready for the baby that I would try anything to get it to come, they say walk. (iluvmaria)
- This trimester is one of the hardest because you begin to get
miserable and so anxious to see the little one. Try to enjoy this time by preparing for the baby!! (cicsokids)
- Exercise, drink LOTS of water, and eat responsibly!
- TRY to enjoy this trimester- although I know I was VERY anxious NOT to be pregnant anymore by the end of my 9th month! Your baby will be squirming so much that it might keep you up at night! When I was almost 9 months with my eldest daughter, she was so big that I could identify knees and elbows sticking out of my tummy! J What a miracle. You might feel big and unattractive�but try to remember that women are never more beautiful than when carrying a child. I truly believe this! (Jenn33199)
- Rest whenever you can. Put your feet up for 20 minutes a day to prevent swelling. Drink water, watch your eating, keep stretching, pack your birth bag, put the car seat in the car now(this will take a day if you have not done this before!), wash all your baby clothes
and prepare nursery. Think about how you will feed your baby and make preparations for that. Don't buy too many newborn diapers,
they don't wear them for long. Attend a good childbirth class. Start interviewing pediatricians now. If you have to go back to work, start investigating daycare now. (bjs34)
- Don't eat anything that might give you heartburn, because once it starts, it seems like it's hard to ever get past it. Also, do leg stretches to help keep those terrible night time leg cramps at bay.
Enjoy every moment of being pregnant - I don't know about others, but after I had my baby, I loved him to pieces, but I really missed being pregnant! (karzandi)
- The estimated due date (EDD) is just that: an ESTIMATE. Try not to fixate on the date, only 5% of babies arrive on their "due dates" most arrive up to two weeks after that date. (testami)
Preparing for Baby:
Must Have Items
- Diapers, Onsies, Little footed jammies, crib, receiving blankets, changing station, crib sheets, crib bumpers, crib sheets, baby sling or carrier, breast pump, nursing bras and pads, cute "showing off the baby outfits" Baby shampoo. Hooded towels, A&D/Desitin ointments, Baby Monitor. (bugs9701)
- Extra crib sheets and those pads that go on them. I stacked them on the bed: crib sheet, pad, crib sheet, pad, crib sheet pad. I could just whisk off the top set and voila! A fresh set was underneath. (cjinfla)
- Bouncy Seat. (Mom_2_Jax)
- Nasal sucker thingy � humidifier (Lorissa)
- A Sling!!!, (45X45) recieving blankets, onsies, A king size bed (in my dreams), a car seat and a sling, rocking chair. (mama2miracles)
- Crib, Glider & ottoman, pack-n-play with bassinet breast feeding items swing, gymini (tntbritt)
- Diapers, extra thick cloth diapers (good for spit rags), bibs, lotion, socks, baby gloves so that the baby doesn't scratch his/her face, bottles (even if you are breastfeeding, you should at least freeze some of your milk in case of emergency). This list is actually endless! (SnoepjesGirl)
- Swing, boppy or comfortable pillow for nursing. (iluvmaria)
- Nice, organized diaper bag, wipey warmer, baby bath that folds up when not in use, monitor, onesies, burp clothes. (cicsokids)
- Sling type carrier for baby! Couldn't have coped without it! Wished I had purchased it sooner than I did!
- Lansinoh, if you are nursing, a bassinette to keep your newborn in so he or she can be with you when you can�t hold him or her, mylicon drops!, infant gowns with elastic at the bottom (so easy to change the baby in the middle of the night), a clock in the room you are nursing in so you can tell how long the baby has been eating. (Jenn33199)
- Crib, car seat, clothes, blankets, snow suit, hats, sleepers, medicine dropper, infants Tylenol and the correct dosage amounts, pediatricians phone number, stroller, swing or vibrating infant seat to soothe a fussy baby. Everything else can wait until the baby is
older. (bjs34)
- * Lots of small bottles and washclothes. It helps to have something to catch the extra breast milk in if you choose to nurse. When the baby is suckling on one side, the other side goes nuts! Leaking and squirting EVERYWHERE! * One of those car-seats that have a stroller that goes with it! OMG! That is a total must. When baby is sleeping in the car, it's so nice just to pop the carseat out, not having to wake baby, snap it into the stroller, and away you go! * A back-pack diaper bag. It is so nice to have BOTH hands free, instead of always having to hoist a slipping strap, or whatnot. (karzandi)
- A baby sling. Get a good quality sling (like the Over the Shoulder Baby Holder or the Maya Wrap -- not the Nojo) and ask for advice if you have any trouble using it. Once you and the baby get accustomed to it it will be your most valuable piece of baby gear. (I started using mine in the first week and am still using it for my now 2-year-old).A few good nursing bras.
Diaper service if it's your first baby, good quality prefolds and covers if you are already used to cloth diapering. (testami)
Items Not To Bother With
- Diaper Genie. The "keep you baby on its back pillow". Shoes. Expensive baby clothes (most items at resale are in excellent condition and your little one grows fast). Size 0-3 months, unless you have a preemie. Most FT babies fit fine in the 3-6 month size (bugs9701)
- I found the baby bathtub to be USELESS! We got a sponge that is made for baby and it fit in our sink and that was great! We used a layer of towels in the regular bathtub when we went to my moms. (cjinfla)
- Diaper genie. (Mom_2_Jax)
- Fancy outifits. (Lorissa)
- Changing Table, Baby Monitor, Bouncy Chair, Swing, other "baby tending" gadgets. (mama2miracles)
- Nursing Bras: If you buy them early in the pg, your boobs are not the same size as the end. If you try to nurse with them, they strech out when you are full of milk, then are too loose after the baby eats. Sport bras work much better and it's much easier to whip your feed bags in and out of them. Plus they are comfy to sleep in.
- Nursing night gown (tntbritt)
- Breast pump. It is so easy to learn how to do it yourself. (SnoepjesGirl)
- Diaper Genie--HATE it! Doesn't hold that many diapers and it's too complicated to change as often as you need to!
- Clothes with buttons- velcro and snaps are SO much easier! AND forget any clothes that have no snaps at the crotch! (Jenn33199)
- Anything that claims it will make your baby a genius. Waste of money and all babies need are love and you talking to them. (bjs34)
- I don't know! We really put everything we received/purchased to good use! We didn't have a changing table - we just turned a dresser into one. We also didn't have a walker or baby swing. (karzandi)
- A crib, unless you plan to attach it sidecar to your own bed. A playpen unless you plan to use it to store toys.
A highchair that reclines... babies shouldn't be eating solids until they can sit up and infants who are bottle fed deserve, and need, their moms to hold them in their arms while they eat, just as much as breastfed babies do. (testami)
Things To Do Before You Go To The Hospital
- Go on a date with your DH. Do adult things. Enjoy it! Stock up on frozen casseroles. Sleep. Let DH sleep (remind him after baby is born how much trouble you had sleeping. (bugs9701)
- Wash baby clothes and bedding and blankets in dreft or ivory snow (cjinfla)
- Ummm pack? (Lorissa)
- Prepare any siblings for your absence and what to expect when the baby is born. Arrange things ahead of time, with a back up plan. Pack your suitcase early, Pre-register at the hospital, Bake a birthday Cake, have dinners in the freezer. Arrange for Help for after baby arrives. (mama2miracles)
- Talk to your doc and ALL partners about labor and delivery. Make sure you know what YOUR DOC, or whoever's on call, will let you do before and after your water breaks. Docs can be more restrictive than the hospitals. When I took prenatal classes at the hosp. I delivered at, they told me lots of things I could do: take showers, (but not baths if my water broke), only be on the monitor 10 min/hr, walk or other physical pain relief, etc. When I got to the hospital my water had already broken and the on call doc said I had to be strapped to the monitor, hooked to an iv and catheter, and in bed the WHOLE TIME.
- Car seat in car, baby's bag packed, mom & dad's bag packed, fill out you Hospital paper work.
- Make ahead and freeze meals. Have someone help you really clean your house and get all the stuff put away that you have laying around that you will NEVER have the time to organize after the baby comes. (SnoepjesGirl)
- Pack, tour the hospital, have phone #'s handy, spend special time with your significant other. (iluvmaria)
- Bring maternity clothes to wear home...that's all that will fit for a couple weeks after the birth!
- Register at the hospital (believe me you do NOT want to be filling out paperwork while you are in labor. Tour the hospital so you can get an idea where you will be when in labor and afterwards. Ask questions about the hospital�s policy on private rooms, visitors, DH sleeping at the hospital etc. Pack. Prepare for baby (the most fun part.) REMEMBER to find out insurance information about your baby- most companies have a grace period after birth to enroll your child but you MUST enroll the baby during that time period! Do NOT forget to do this! J Find a pediatrician for the baby- he or she will visit the baby in the hospital. Sign up for daycare early! (Jenn33199)
- Arrange for someone to watch your other children, and take care of any pets you have. Put car seat in the car. Put birth bag near the door. Have telephone numbers of hospital, care provider, and doula near the phone. Eat something light. Not manicotti, not a big mac, light! Like a peanut butter and Jelly on whole wheat and a glass of milk. This will be your last meal but you want to make sure that what ever you swallow, you won't mid tasting again if it
comes back up in labor. Shower, if you have a long labor it will be the last time you can, brush your teeth(same reason)try and go to the bathroom. (bjs34)
- Get a clock with second hands on it that you can take in the car
with you to time contractions. We live an hour away from the hospital, and this was a great distraction for me. (karzandi)
Childbirth Classes That You Have Loved (Or Hated)
Related Boards: [Lamaze] [Bradley Method]
- We did CEA (Childbirth Education Associates) I wholly recommend it! It goes over Lamaze breathing/relaxation but also options for pain control - (bugs9701)
- Everything I learned the hospital wouldn't do, all depends on delivery nurse. (Mom_2_Jax)
- LOVED Bradley classes! Fantastic preparation for DH and Mom. Hated my Lamaze Classes. (That baby came early and we didn't finish). Waste of time and basically useless in labor. I have heard them called Hospital Obedience classes. (mama2miracles)
- I didn't think it was that helpful. But I recommend you do it. (tntbritt)
- I enjoyed lamaze, didn't really put it to use but enjoyed being with others that we're going through what I was. (iluvmaria)
- Loved the hospital's childbirth class. Also took a first-time parenting class. That was very informative...and I still get together regularly with the other 8 women and babies from that group!
- We went to CEA (basically lamaze) which was informative. I also went to a breastfeeding class and a newborn care class with my first child. If you are planning a VBAC many hospitals offer special classes. (Jenn33199)
- Try to find one that meshes well with the kind of birth you want to have. If you want a totally unmedicated birth you may want to stay away from a hospital based class. They are often taught by an L&D nurse and they will talk up epidurals and other interventions. (bjs34)
- We did Bradley class and LOVED it!!! Would certainly reccommend to all. (karzandi)
- Bradley was good, though from a homebirth planning perspective it focuses too much on the hospital interventions. Also, though not technically a class, every pregnant mom should make a point of locating and attending her local La Leche League meeting [link: http://www.lalecheleague.org/ ] before she has the baby. (testami)
Preparing Siblings
- We are just talking about the baby growing inside mommy, reading books, talking about how things will be different when the baby comes, what the baby will be like. (bugs9701)
- Read books - buy a baby doll (Lorissa)
- Marina did fantastic. We spent time with babies, watched births together (she was barely 2 when her brother was born). Talked and talked, read books on becoming a big sister. Etc. I think the books were the biggest factor. Depending on what she wants, she will attend the birth of this sibling. I also Tandem Nursed. It gave Marina a chance to occasionally still be the baby. (mama2miracles)
- I can use all the advice I can get!!! (tntbritt)
- If you know your child might have a difficult time adjusting, I would buy a doll and practice changing the diapers and feeding it with them. Your child may be too young to help you, but preparing them with their own baby, really eases things in the long run. This definitely worked for me, my son LOVED his little sister. Make your child feel like this is his baby too, not just your baby...then they won't feel replaced. (SnoepjesGirl)
- Before the birth of my second child I let my oldest help me bake and decorate a cake. We brought it to the hospital the day my second child was born and sang happy birthday to the new baby. We also let my oldest pick out a present and wrap it for the baby and to baby brought him a present. My second still sleeps with the stuffed toy that my first bought for him. (cicsokids)
- I could use advice on this one...Patrick will only be 18months (ish) when the new baby is born! But I'm looking forward to it!
- If your child is older, many hospitals offer sibling classes where they tour the hospital and are made to feel special for a few hours! Our daughter was too young for this when our second was born- so we just practiced holding dolls, and talking about babies. We also found a few GREAT books geared to young children. This time, my eldest is almost 4 and understands a bit more (my 2 year old does not yet.) I plan to let them come on the hospital tour with us (our hospital gives private tours) so they know where we will be. I�m also going to bring my eldest to our big u/s so she can see the baby! One last thing, we left presents for our eldest to open when we left to the hospital. Definitely made the day happier for her! (Jenn33199)
- Talk about the baby and what it will be like often. Maybe watch a video on newborns together and read big brother/sister
books to them. If they will be in a new room or big bed when the baby comes, switch them really early on even if you are not ready to. Any changes made too close to the baby's arrival will be cause
for jealousy, and withdrawal. Go to a sibling class at your hospital. Practice with little ones(under three) by holding a baby doll and have them learn gentle touching. (bjs34)
- No experience in this area yet! (karzandi)
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